Full Sail Amber

Full Sail Amber - Hood River, Oregon.

When I am tired of IPA's, I always seem to turn toward the amber style. I guess it's a nice change up from the bitter hops of the IPA's.

The beer pours a nice dark amber color as you would expect from the style of beer that it is. A nice mix of citrus fruit, hops and malt are the first things you notice when you smell the beer. Also notice a sweetness (maybe caramel from the sugar).

Pretty smooth and sweet beer. I had 3 last night while watching the Dayton Flyers @ Ohio State basketball game. I think that I would have been better off with 2, as the 3rd didn't go down as easy as the first two. A touch of bitterness showed up towards the end of the last beer that wasn't there with the previous two.

I think that this is a well crafted beer from Full Sail. They talk about how they first started brewing this beer during the 80's light lager craze. Almost as if they were the first brewers to try something different during that time period. I will most likely try others from their collection if I see them in the future and I might even buy another 6 of the Amber if I want a sweeter taste in the future. Overall it was an unexpected pleasant beer.

Who: Billy
Where: My house
Price: $$
Score: 4 / 5

Happy Drinking!

Snake Rive Pale Ale

Snake River Pale Ale - Jackson Hole, Wyoming

I had been itching to try this beer for a couple of years but was always unable to find it. A couple of weekends ago while in Cleveland, Thad bought a 6 pack for me to try -- Actually not knowing I had wanted to try the beer, but because he really enjoys the Snake River brews when he heads out West with friends.

The beer was better than I expected. It had a very smooth taste and was not as Hop heavy as other pale ales -- probably because its an American PA. Poured a nice dark yellow color with slight head. Nice floral and citrusy smell. A hint of caramel malt to tone the bitterness of the grapefruit (not nearly as potent as the Loose Cannon).

It wasn't my all time favorite, but a very drinkable beer that I will keep on my list of beers to buy if I see it again. I would love to get the chance to taste the other Snake River brews. Thad says that they are much better out west, and I believe him. Based on my experience with beers from the west, when drank in Cincinnati vs. where they come from, it isn't even close.

Who: Thad and Cathy's family
Where: Cathy's Mom's house
Price: Free
Score: 4 / 5

Happy Drinking!

Landshark Lager

Landshark Lager from the Margaritaville Brewing Company.

Jimmy Buffett brings us this Island style lager from the songs he sings about. I would guess that this beer is best enjoyed with a big fat cheeseburger with all of the fixins and sitting on your deck or patio with a nice summer breeze blowing.

My brother brought this over to our parents house for Easter lunch since we hadn't tried it yet. It was as expected for a beer from Jimmy Buffett. Think something in between Corona and Bud Light. Now, I'm not one to put Lime in beer, but it just seemed weird that there was no lime and a hot breeze blowing in the background. This beer really made me want the warm weather and honestly I can't wait to kick back with another 6 pack on the porch this summer. It wasn't my favorite beer but once its hotter and I don't want something so bitter and filling, I'll probably grab this before Corona next time.

Who: the family
Where: Mom and Dad's house
Price: Free
Score: 3 / 5

Happy Drinking!

Beer News 03.22.2008

Pyramid Breweries partners with Seattle Mariners
Link: Seattle brewery now designated the "official craft beer" of the baseball team

Heavy Seas - Loose Cannon

Heavy Seas - Loose Cannon

After our first wedding shower (well I should say: Cathy had a bridal shower while my dad and I went and had lunch...came back and moved packages from the shower to the cars), we went out with some of our friends to the Winking Lizard in Peninsula, Ohio for a couple of beers. I really like bars like the Lizard because they have so many to choose from and usually I can find a few I haven't tried before.

My first beer at the bar was the Loose Cannon. I really wasn't into the beer at all. It was very bitter and not really what I wanted at the time. It has a very distinct grapefruit smell and you could really feel the bitterness of the fruit in the back of your mouth. That is the only thing that I remember from the beer because it was so overpowering for me. So I can't really tell you anymore about it.

I almost always like IPA's and I think if I were to drink it again, I might like it more. I had a few beers at lunch with dad and I think that kind of hurt the palette for this beer (I had a Sierra Nevada, a Bell's Two hearted and then when we got home from the shower I had a Great Lakes Eliot Ness...)

Right now the score for this beer is probably going to be on the low side, but maybe after another try I will like it more.

Who: Cathy, Ang, Mindy, Bethie
Where: Winking Lizard (Peninsula)
Cost: $
Score: 2 / 5

Happy Drinking!

Beer News 03.18.2008

Christian Moerlein Brewing Co. Will Launch New Beer
Link: New local beer fit for an emperor

Green Beer - St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patricks Day!

America's drinking holiday, where you don't have to be believe in anything to celebrate!

So, to honor this day, here is my review of green beer.

What can you say really, its usually Bud Light or Miller Light with green food coloring. Most of the time you end up with rings of green around your face from all of the drinking. But good times are always had by all. So its really a perfect beer....sort of.

Who: Everyone
Where: Bar's Everywhere
Price: $
Score: 5 / 5

Happy Drinking! --- PS - Be safe today!

Samual Adams - Cranberry Lambic

Samual Adams - Cranberry Lambic

In my last review, I talked about how much I enjoy the Sam Adams brews...and now I'm going to talk about how I don't enjoy all of them. This was also included in the winter pack or brewmasters collection...I can't remember.

The problem I have with the Cranberry and Blueberry beers is that it tastes a lot like carbonated and flavored water (Clearly Canadian anyone?). Don't get me wrong, I love cranberries and blueberries, just not in beer. These are the types of beers that you can have about 6-ozs. of and then are completely tired of it.

In terms of cranberry beer, I think that Sam Adams has come up with a decent brew, its just not my kind of beer. I know that some of the girls we are friends with really like these kinds of beers, especially the blueberry (probably because I am always drinking IPA's and other hoppy beers and they just can't stand all that bitterness). And, I will try any beer once or twice to get the feel of it, and I also wouldn't tell someone not to drink a certain beer (everyone has their own tastes). But I can and will recommend certain beers over others and this one shall never be recommended, unless of course you ask me what Cranberry beer you should try.

Who: Cathy
Where: Home
Price: $
Score: 2 / 5

Happy Drinking!

Beer News 03.13.2008

For Terrapin Beer Co., happy hour has arrived
Link: New Athens brewery the payoff after years of struggle for two partners

Barber prevented from dispensing beer
Link: Offer s customers one complimentary brew until authorities told him to stop.

Samuel Adams - Cream Stout

Samuel Adams Cream Stout.

This was in one of the Samuel Adams Winter Classics or Brewmasters 12 pack. I think there were 6 different beers in the pack but I can't remember anymore since I drank this beer before Christmas.

I do remember this being my favorite of the whole group though. I am a sucker for the stout's and porters, probably its my chocolate addiction. The beer pours a very dark brown almost black color with a nice tan head. It's not very thick when compared to other stouts, but this didn't negatively affect my experience. It has a very sweet cocoa malty aroma and tastes almost like it smells. The cream taste comes from the vanilla and sweet milk flavors.

I feel that Sam Adams has a lot of different flavors to offer and this one is one of my favorites. I'm sure that this beer doesn't get high marks from others that I think it should because it comes from the very large Sam Adams brewers. But don't let that keep you away from this very fine craft brew.

Who: Billy
Where: Home (during the Dayton vs. Louisville game -- GO FLYERS!)
Price: Free
Score: 4 / 5

Happy Drinking!

Sierra Nevada - ESB

Sierra Nevada Early Spring Beer.

West Coast taste on a Extra Special or Strong Bitter. Starts off with a nice amber color and smells of both hops and malt. I was expecting something that was more bitter than it was, but the malt really comes through to sweeten up and to smooth out that bitter flavor.

My brother Cody had asked me if I had tried this beer yet and thought that I would enjoy it. After that conversation it was the next 6 pack that I purchased. He was right and I did enjoy the beer. I have been recommending it to a few friends who enjoy the slightly bitter tasting beers.

What I liked most was the drinkability. I felt I could easily have 2 or 3 and not be tired of it. Not usually likely when it comes to me and the ESB's.

Who: Cathy
Where: Home
Price: $$
Score: 4 / 5

Happy Drinking!

Cincinnati Bockfest 2008

Bockfest gets under way tonight after work (Friday, March 7, 2008).

"Cincinnati is the home to the world's oldest Bock festival, but many Cincinnatians are unaware of this tradition. If you are one of the unfortunate who have never attended a Bockfest (or who have but can't really remember that weekend) here's a quick primer. In the 1800s, Cincinnati was one of America's most prolific brewing cities. Cincinnatians drank more beer per capita than any city in the country, and Over-the-Rhine was at one point home to more than 50 breweries. A tradition developed among the breweries to release all of their bock beer on the same day. Bock beer is a rich, complex, robust lager that marks the end of the Winter brewing season and the beginning of Spring."

Links:
Bockfest Home
CinWeekly Bockfest Page
Enquirer Article

Happy Drinking!

Beer News 03.05.2008

What a great pair: Beer and, well, anything
Link: Which beers go best with various dishes

Indian beer market in high spirits
Link: The number of brands available in the country is growing by each passing quarter

Bells - Two Hearted Ale

Bells Two Hearted Ale.

Hailing from Kalamazoo, Michigan - Bells checks in with another fine IPA. This one very easy to recommend to anyone and can easily be drank one after another.

I didn't get a chance to pour the beer out of the bottle when I drank it (so I can't comment on the head), but I could see that it does have a nice dark orange/brown color. The beer also has a nice citrus and floral aroma which is typical of the IPA style. It does have a nice hoppiness but isn't overwhelming, this is why Cathy prefers the taste of the Two Hearted Ale over the previous IPA review (Dogfish Head 60 Min).

Maybe I'm just partial to the regional breweries (Great Lakes, Bell's, etc.), but I really haven't tasted a beer that I didn't enjoy from Bell's. I will be looking to add a few of their brews to my list after we get through the next few months before the wedding.

PS - Sorry about the image, we were inside with hardly any light and I can't use a flash or it blows out the label.

Happy Drinking!

Who: Cathy, Emily, Billy
Where: Allyn's Cafe
Price: $$
Score: 5 / 5

Beer News 03.04.2008

Drink beer to save the planet
Link: Foster's introduces Green Cascade

Philadelphia's beer week celebrates a sudsy heritage
Link: Beer, said U.S. founding father Benjamin Franklin, is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.

Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA

Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA

This is the beer that Dogfish head is know for, and in my opinion, one of the better IPA's available (unless you ask Cathy). This was one of the first craft brews I got hooked on, and at the time, it really opened up my eyes to what a good beer can and should taste like.

To start it has a very nice orange/amber color which coincides with the citrus flavor. For an IPA it has a rather light bitterness which makes this beer very enjoyable and easy to drink. It also has a pretty nice hoppy finish and if you look closely you can see all the hops on the label.

I honestly was very surprised when I saw the beer on Arthur's menu, and after I saw that on the list, I looked no further. When we lived in Hyde Park and were frequenting the café often, the only beers you could get in bottles were Bud, Miller, Coors and Sierra. Maybe they have a beer geek doing the purchasing these days.

Happy Drinking!

Who: Cathy and Ang
Where: Arthurs
Price: $
Score: 4/5

Santa's Butt - Winter Porter

Santa's Butt Winter Porter.

I had been waiting for the right time to try the last of my Christmas/Winter seasonal beers. Santa's Butt was a Christmas present from Thad and ended up being a pretty nice present.

One very noticeable thing right away is the fun name and label for the brew. Santa's Butt has a double meaning, the first is obvious, the second is that "butt" is also for the 126-gallon beer barrel Santa is sitting on.

I rather enjoyed this porter (one of my favorite styles of beer). First things I noticed with the pour was the beautiful dark brown color and the sweet chocolate aroma. The sweet chocolaty flavor was in the forefront and reminded me a little of getting a chocolate soda at the local ice cream shoppe. What surprised me was it didn't have that typical "spice" that is in the winter ales. I was dissapointed in the head on top, it wasn't that soft creamy head that I expected. But overall I will rate this beer very highly and can't wait until next Winter when it will be available again.

Who: Cathy
Where: Home
Price: Gift
Score: 4 / 5